ANALYSIS OF PAVEMENTS FOR FLUCTUATING DYNAMIC LOADS

Abstract

Pavement health is affected by factors such as the pavement material, fluctuating loads, and vehicle weight. This study aims to understand the dynamic behavior of fluctuating loads on the pavement life and service. The study takes into consideration the frequency generated by different vehicles. The vehicles are classified as per IRC 37 -2018 and then further classified based on the axle configuration. The finite element analysis using Abaqus is carried out in which a flexible pavement is modeled. RPM value, axle configuration, and gross vehicle weight of different commercial and domestic vehicles are taken for the study. It’s been seen that with increasing frequency (or RPM) the wavelength of pavement roughness decreases and with an increase in velocity the wavelength increases. The vehicle speed and gross weight play a major role in inducing the stresses on the pavement. As the frequency increased and load decreased, the stress value decreased. It means that the stress is more when the load is higher, and frequency is low. The wavelength of pavement roughness decreases with an increase in frequency but increases with speed increases.